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The
terms Medicaid, Medi-Cal, and Medicare are so similar that it
is easy to confuse them.
Signed into law in 1965, Medicaid
covers medical care expenses as well as custodial care expenses
and is a financial and medical need-based program. Benefits
are primarily available only for those who demonstrate a financial
need. Eligibility depends on a person’s income, assets,
and medical condition.
This is California’s version of Medicaid. California is
one of the few states with its own name for its Medicaid program.
Medicare, also signed into law in 1965, covers medical expenses
but not custodial care. It is not a financial need-based program.
Medicare pays for covered medical costs regardless of the recipient’s
financial status.
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If you are 65,
blind or disabled and on SSI, you are automatically covered by Medicare.
Even if your income is too high to qualify for SSI, you may still
be eligible for Medi-Cal if:
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You
meet the Medi-Cal resource limits ($2,000 for an individual,
$3,000 for a couple if both are confined) ($111,560
for a married couple if one is confined.)
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-Payment
of your medical bills would leave you with less than the available
“need standard” for your other living expenses.
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-You
qualify for the Aged & Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program.
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California
law has a fixed maintenance need standard, i.e., the amount of monthly
income that the state has determined you need for necessary monthly
expenses, not including medical bills.
For more information about services provided by the experts at Linker Financial Group, Inc. or to schedule a brief, no charge, no obligation consultation to see if Medi-Cal Long Term Care planning is right for you, please give us a call or send us an e-mail right now.
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